Community Corner

West Hartford Fire Department Kicks Off Annual 'Fill the Boot' for MDA

Major fundraising effort is now underway and will run throughout the next several months.

For the fifth year in a row, the Muscular Dystrophy Association's "Fill the Boot" fundraiser kicked off at the Brace Road fire station in West Hartford. The campaign is the major fundraising effort of the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut (UPFFA), and the union hopes to raise more than $500,000 for the charity this year.

Peter Carozza, president of the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters of Connecticut, and Lt. Carl Dojan of the West Hartford Fire Department as well as many other West Hartford firefighters were on hand to begin this year's campaign. The West Hartford local hopes to raise $25,000 for MDA this year, and challenged other locals to beat that number. Last year West Hartford raised more than any other local in the state other than New Haven.

In addition to the "Fill the Boot" effort, the union raises money for MDA at its annual beer tasting held in the Whole Foods parking lot in Blue Back Square. "That's been a fabulous event, and Whole Foods is a great supporter," said Battalion Chief Bill Kall.


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